www.danceforhealth.co.uk/fundraising

I am raising money to help make a positive impact in & around the communities of Midsomer Norton providing free and accessible group sessions to support wellbeing. I am passionate about making a difference within my local community. If you can help, or give your boss a nudge to donate, this would mean so much to me and all the wonderful people on the receiving end.

The Aim

To provide extremely valuable and fun group activity sessions to a much-needed population that will help with tackling social isolation, improve well-being, tackle inactivity and exclusion, and provide free and easily accessible sessions for communities in and around Midsomer Norton.

The Story

I have just walked away from experiencing the most uplifting and enjoyable couple of hours within a sheltered housing complex, bringing people together to enjoy each other's company, engaging and interacting, singing songs from their past, moving and dancing to the music in their chairs, and reminiscing over their earlier days and nothing would give me greater pleasure in life than to bottle the atmosphere and send it around the world.

I feel very privileged to do what I do, and I love it. Knowing how much of a difference these sessions make to everyone's day and possibly their whole week. Their smiles and laughter are always priceless. However, walking away fills me with great sadness as I know this will be the only session I can run, and it is down to the one small thing that has a huge impact on everything we do in life and that's money. I am frustrated that I cannot fulfill these sessions that are so invaluable and I'm sad that it boils down to that stuff that allegedly makes the world go around.

The Misson

I am a keen volunteer in providing these sessions but to keep them consistently running, which is what makes a huge difference, requires the need to cover basic costs. Sessions cannot always be funded by the individuals in the group or the organiser as they also struggle with raising funds and I know that they work tirelessly to raise even the smallest amounts of funds just to pay one service provider to come in and deliver much-needed activities.

This is why I feel I need to come forward and try and help make a positive impact within my local community by raising funds for situations like this so that free sessions can be delivered, and basic not-for-profit costs are covered.

I am also fundraising in other ways, and I am reaching out to companies to ask for match funding, sponsorship, or any other form of donation.

I cannot apply for funding through any type of grant scheme as I do not fit the criteria because I am an individual and not a charity or community interest company. However, like these associations, all I am aiming to achieve is to make a difference in people's lives. There are no profits to be made here. I am just looking to cover my costs and anything more that will be re-invested into more classes to create more fun and smiles within my community.

If you can help in any way or offer any advice, please kindly drop me a message. Come along and watch a session in progress ... it's truly an amazing and uplifting experience and I hope someone cares enough about me to do this when I am much older.

Thank you for reading.

Warm wishes, Mel x